Saudi crown prince vows to bring Khashoggi killers to justice

After initially claiming that the journalist left the consulate, Saudi prosecutors said Thursday that Turkish evidence shows the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was premeditated.

Saudi Arabia first denied any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance but a Saudi official eventually attributed his death on October 2 to a botched attempt to return him to the kingdom.

The statement is the bluntest to date by a figure associated with the Turkish president on the Saudi prince's involvement in the murder.

Key mysteries yet to be explained are suspicions that Saudi Arabia's crown prince ordered the killing - even though he publicly condemned it - and the whereabouts of the Washington Post columnist's body.

There were conflicting reports Thursday about whether investigators had searched the well in a case that has geopolitical implications because of the Saudi-Turkish rivalry in the Mideast region, as well as the US alliance with both countries.

"We are making very clear that the United States does not tolerate this kind of action to silence Mr Khashoggi, a journalist, through violence", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Saudi officials made "reconnaissance" trips to the forest as well as the city of Yalova a day before Khashoggi was killed.

They say Ms Haspel was allowed to listen to the audio during a visit to Turkey earlier this week.

But Indyk said bin Salman instead brought headaches for Washington - not only Khashoggi's killing but in Yemen where the United States is backing a Saudi-led bombing campaign against Houthi rebels.

Video images and audio tapes as well as evidence gathered from the consulate and the consul's residence were shared with Haspel during the briefing at the Turkish Intelligence Organisation (MIT), Sabah newspaper reported.

How Western allies deal with Riyadh will hinge on the extent to which they believe responsibility for Khashoggi's death lies directly with the prince and the Saudi authorities.

The Trump administration took its first concrete steps to penalize Saudi Arabia on Tuesday by revoking visas for agents implicated in the killing, a modest move considering 18 of the 21 Saudi suspects were already under arrest.

"To blame such an incident on a handful of security and intelligence members would not satisfy us or the worldwide community", Mr Erdogan said in a speech to ruling party MPs in parliament.

Shortly after Erdogan takes the stage in Ankara, Mohammed is expected to make his own appearance in Riyadh, opening a landmark investment conference meant to signal afresh that the kingdom is open for business.

Meanwhile, the crown prince has attended the first meeting of a committee aiming to restructure the kingdom's intelligence services after the killing of Mr Khashoggi.

Prince Mohammed's comments Wednesday came at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.

Dozens of people stood vigil outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Thursday to demand justice.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2017, Trump signed an agreement with the Saudis for them to purchase Dollars 110 billion of United States weapons, although so far only USD 43 billion of that has been detailed.

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